Alex Ovechkin played 31 games for his hometown KHL team, Dynamo Moscow, before the NHL lockout ended in January. During that time, Ovechkin scored 19 goals and had 40 points. Even without Ovi and Nicklas Backstrom, Dynamo went on to beat Evgeny Kuznetsov’s Traktor Chelyabinsk in the finals and repeat as champions. And because of his teammates’ hard work, his role as an advisor, and early season stint with the team, Ovechkin got some pretty sweet hardware for his trouble.

Ovechkin will receive the team’s championship ring, his name has been written on the Gagarin Cup, and now, Ovi has joined his Dynamo teammates on a parade through Moscow and received a gold medal. It’s not a World Championships gold medal, but hey, this will do.

Today in Moscow in the Luzhniki minor sports arena the ceremony of Dynamo celebration was held. The club repeated as Gagarin Cup champion.

The big day started for players, coaches and fans at Khodynka where the champions parade started. A motorcade led by the blue-and-white open-faced bus rode down Tverskaya Street, Kremlevskaya and Moskvoretskaya embankments and then arrived to Luzhniki park where they were met by hundreds of fans. Players, coaches and managers were signing autographs for an hour, participated in a photoshoot with KHL’s main trophy and then took VIP seats in the arena.

Participating in the celebration were Russian music stars as it ended with the awarding of the ‘golden’ team. KHL president Alexander Medvedev and FHR president Vladislav Tretyak held welcoming speeches, wishing champions to do not stop in the new season and threepeat as champions.

Also, the orders by sports minister Vitaly Mutko according to which coaches Oleg Znarok and Harijs Vitolins received “Honoured Coach of Russia” titles while many players received titles “Master of Sports of Russia” and “Master of Sports of the International Level” were read.

Dynamo received the medals from the Russian Hockey Federation as the country’s champions.

- Why Backstrom isn’t taking part in the celebration?
He made a contribution to Dynamo’s success.

– Kolya (Nicklas) wanted to come
here very much. But he didn’t get a chance. He has personal problems.
We thanked him. We’ll made personal champion ring for him – said General director of HC Dynamo Moscow.

Akay15

On a side note, is anyone else deeply satisfied by the 0-3 hole the Rangers are napping in? I know I am.